1) Cleaning Requirements

Cleaning is your hotel’s biggest cost from a maintenance perspective, as it is an ongoing necessity throughout the life of your flooring.

While a regular cleaning program is essential for ensuring your flooring tiles last as long as possible, maintenance requirements vary depending on the type of flooring you have, due to differing labor, time and equipment costs. Making smart flooring choices can help you cut your cleaning costs and reduce your overall maintenance costs.

Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT)

VCT requires daily sweeping and mopping to remove dirt and debris. It also requires regular waxing and polishing, to maintain a protective coating that protects the tile from scuffs, scratches and discoloration.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

LVT also requires daily sweeping and mopping, but unlike VCT it doesn’t require waxing, thanks to a transparent ‘wear’ layer that protects the tile from stains, scuffs and scratches – though it may need repolishing several times a year.

Carpet

Carpet (both broadloom and carpet tile) also requires daily cleaning, but vacuuming is much less labor-intensive compared with mopping (making it 21% more efficient in comparison). Carpet will also require periodic deep cleaning, to remove any dirt and debris missed by vacuuming.

2) Protection Against Soiling

Excessive soiling and staining will damage your flooring, shortening its lifespan and meaning it needs replacing earlier than anticipated. Your hotel flooring will suffer two main types of soiling: firstly, dirt from outside, and secondly, staining from spills.

Soiling

Most flooring wear and tear occurs in just 20% of any building, with entryways and corridors subject to the most demanding use. Without proper protection, wear and tear can damage your flooring and leave a space looking scruffy – definitely not the first impression you want to create for your guests. Thankfully, using tiered entryway systems can protect your flooring from the majority of dirt, dust, rain and snow that visitors bring into the building on their shoes. Learn more about tiered entryway systems.

Staining

Food and drink spills are the most common cause of staining on your hotel flooring, and can lead to expensive repair or replacement work which will hit your maintenance budget hard. However, many flooring manufacturers offer flooring options with a degree of stain resistance, which will help to protect your flooring and reduce the risk of needing a total replacement.

3) Replacement Options

Buying new flooring is a big expense, and many hotels will budget for new flooring every eight to ten years. But what happens once your guests spill a few glasses of red wine or cups of coffee?

Depending on your choice of flooring, a few stains here and there can either be a major nightmare or a minor inconvenience. If you’ve got broadloom carpet, for instance, a stubborn stain can mean you need to replace a large section in that space – not too bad in a guest room, but a major financial outlay if it’s in the lobby or another communal area. On the other hand, if you have carpet tiles, it’s possible for you to spot-replace stained or damaged tiles – much cheaper and less disruptive than laying a whole new carpet!

Save a small fortune on your next hotel flooring project, and download our free whitepaper.